MOGADISHU, Somalia – The commissioner of the Somali National Disaster Management Agency, SoDMA, Mohamud Moalim Abdulle, said the EU’s decision to suspend aid to Somalia could worsen the food shortage in the drought-stricken Horn of Africa nation.
Abdulle said, “This is something that clearly concerns us. The situation is still bad. Nearly 4 million of our citizens are facing food insecurity, with 20% of the population currently displaced. Nearly 1.5 million children are at risk of malnutrition”.
The SoDMA administrator added that Somalia is now too weak to deal with the impact of the imminent El Niño storm which is said to hit some of the coastal cities in the country.
“Somalia faced severe floods that displaced almost one million people. Almost 50% of the population is at risk of food insecurity and need urgent humanitarian help”, he continued.
He described it as unfortunate and deplorable that international donors, mainly the EU decided to suspend aid to Somalia, a move that hugely affects the most vulnerable people in the country.
Somalia faces one of the world’s most acute humanitarian crises. The country is seeing its worst drought in 40 years, famine, and an ongoing armed conflict. Humanitarian agencies warn nearly 8 million people, half of the population, are in dire need of assistance.
